Russian business forum sees deals worth $14.6 bln

Business deals worth 14.6 billion dollars (9.3 billion euros) were signed on the sidelines of an economic forum in Saint Petersburg, a senior Russian official said on Sunday.

"Agreements were signed for a value of 14.6 billion dollars," including major deals on infrastructure projects, Russian Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina told reporters at the close of the conference.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev opened the forum on Saturday with his first major speech on the economy since coming to power last month. He also met with the chief executives of top companies interested in investing in Russia.

The agreements signed included a property development deal in Saint Petersburg worth five billion dollars and a deal for the production of Fiat cars and engines in the Volga region of Tatarstan, officials said.